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Super Sons #6 commenced the series’ new Planet of the Capes story arc with an opening installment entitled Teen Beat. Jonathan (Superboy) Kent and Damian (Robin) Wayne are joined by the Teen Titans for a tale scripted by Peter J. Tomasi and drawn by Jorge Jimenez. ComiConverse contributor T. Kyle King brings you his review.

Super Sons #6 Review:

Robin regards Superboy as an underaged and immature trainee unprepared for membership in the Teen Titans… but, when Aqualad, Beast Boy, Raven, and Starfire show up in search of the Boy Wonder, will it be necessary for Damian to enlist Jon’s aid?

(Warning: Spoilers follow!)

Super Sons #6 Synopsis:

Now settled in Metropolis following their move from Hamilton County, Clark Kent and Lois Lane send their son out on patrol with Robin, a sack lunch, and a curfew. The duo’s conflicting crimefighting styles cause some friction, yet the lads are able to do a good night’s work until their adventure is interrupted. The Teen Titans arrive to retrieve Robin for a search designed to track down a mysterious energy disruption.

While Superboy returns home on schedule, the Titans find the source of the surge, only to discover they have been lured into a trap. Atom-Master, Chun Yull, and the Time Commander take the teen teammates by surprise, swiftly dispatching the metahuman youths. When all the young heroes except Robin have been rendered unconscious, the Time Commander releases the team leader with a sinister mission and a message from Kraklow. Damian seeks out Jonathan, revealing the ill effects of the villains’ time-bending abilities.

Super Sons #6 Analysis:

Author and artist are completely in synch in Teen Beat. Tomasi’s humorous tone and Jimenez’s lively style give Planet of the Capes — Part 1 a whimsical sensibility that permeates words and pictures alike, creating a unity of elements that works effectively from start to finish. Super Sons #6, like the previous issues in this series, is a character-driven tale, and the major players’ personalities are portrayed convincingly both verbally and visually. The straight-laced Robin and the exuberant Superboy are ideal foils for one another, giving rise to considerable physical comedy and numerous odd-couple confrontations.

Colorist Alejandro Sanchez contributes significantly to the consistent authenticity of the imagery, bringing vibrantly to life the bright lights and dark alleyways of the moderately mean streets of Metropolis. Sanchez makes a few hues go a long way, accentuating the nuances of Jimenez’s tousled-haired heroes and their menacing antagonists. Teen Beat’s graphic arts team vividly renders the no-nonsense Robin, the good-hearted Superboy, the irreverent Beast Boy, and the aloof Raven with expressive adroitness. While the leggy emphasis of Starfire’s full-page introduction tilts a tad toward the exploitive exhibitionism of Koriand’r’s more regrettable portrayals, Super Sons #6 earns points for offering further proof of Jimenez’s distinctive ability to draw a Lois Lane who is refreshingly bereft of both matronly frumpiness and hypersexualized objectification.

Tomasi — who has understood from the outset that the appeal of pairing this Robin with this Superboy arises from the fact that Damian is Bruce Wayne’s son and Jon is Clark’s — plays the divergent approaches of Batman and Superman to the hilt in Planet of the Capes — Part 1. When the Kent lad grouses that “Damian’s dad lets him stay out all night” on weekends, the Big Blue Boy Scout wryly replies: “Damian’s dad dresses like a bat and gets hit in the head 28 times every night.” The definitive characteristics of these iconic patriarchs spill over into each of their offspring in Super Sons #6, in which Robin interrupts his talkative partner to admonish Superboy: “This is a uniform, not a costume.” Aqualad’s impatient sarcasm, Beast Boy’s baseball wisecracks, and Starfire’s constructive criticisms all leaven the adventure with additional amusement.

Teen Beat’s pithy script is a necessary element of an initial installment whose ominous overtones are introduced on the issue’s opening page. The final image of Super Sons #6 likewise reinforces the story’s clever blend of overt humor and underlying danger, as an artificially ancient Damian unironically asks Jonathan, “Do I look like your dad?!” Planet of the Capes — Part 1 maintains this delicate balance throughout, combining drama and comedy while also mixing old foes (from a team literally known as the Forgotten Villains) with the rejuvenated Teen Titans of Rebirth. Throw in a couple of word balloons on the cover, and I’m totally sold on this book.

What did you think of Teen Beat? We invite you to ComiConverse with us about Super Sons #6 in the comments!

T. Kyle King is an Expert Contributor to ComiConverse. Follow him on Twitter: @TKyleKing.

Super Sons #6

4

Dynamic

Characterization, dialogue, imagery, and plot all combine in this issue to form a harmonious and entertaining whole.